Network Problem: Acer Aspire 3000, SiS 900-basedPCI Fast Ethernet

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around connectivity issues experienced with an Acer Aspire 3000 laptop that has a SiS 900-based PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter. Participants explore potential causes and solutions related to network configuration, cable types, and operating system issues, focusing on both theoretical and practical aspects of networking.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes the issue of limited or no connectivity when connecting the laptop to a desktop or cable-dsl modem, despite DHCP being enabled.
  • Another participant suggests that if not connecting through a router, a manual IP address assignment may be necessary, and mentions the need for a crossover cable when connecting directly between the laptop and desktop.
  • It is noted that the desktop's Ethernet adapter has only four pins, while the laptop's has eight, raising questions about cable compatibility.
  • Some participants emphasize the importance of using a crossover cable for direct connections and suggest assigning a static IP address to the laptop.
  • A participant expresses suspicion that the issue may lie with the cable, as packets are sent but not received.
  • One participant reports resolving the issue after discovering a problem with Windows XP's winsock and DHCP in Service Pack 2, attributing the connectivity problem to the operating system rather than hardware or cable issues.
  • Another participant inquires about the specifics of DHCP and its relation to Service Pack 2.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the causes of the connectivity issue, with some attributing it to cable type and others to software problems. There is no consensus on a single solution, as multiple potential causes and fixes are discussed.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention the need for specific cable types (crossover vs. straight) and the implications of different Ethernet adapter configurations, which may affect connectivity. The discussion also highlights the potential impact of operating system settings on network functionality.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for individuals troubleshooting network connectivity issues, particularly those using older hardware or operating systems like Windows XP.

exequor
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I have an Acer Aspire 3000 and it has a SiS 900-based PCI Fast Ethernet Adapter. My problem is that no matter how I try to connect the laptop to another desktop computer or to a cable-dsl modem it tells me that there is limited or no connectivity. When I try to repair it it says that the IP is not being reassigned. I used the normal cat5 ethernet cable. When I do ipconfig /release on the laptop dhcp is enabled and everything else seems to be normal. All the settings for TCP/IP, etc. is set to automatic.

Does anyone have a clue as to what may be causing this?
 
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If you aren't connecting to a router (a router's job is to assign/manage ip addresses), you need to assign it an ip address manually. However, I thought cable modems had router functionality (for one pc)...

If you are connecting directly between the pc and the laptop, you need a crossover cable and to assign ip addresses for both.
 
the thing is when i connect the desktop computer to the cable modem it works (this is the connection that I am using now), but when i connect the laptop to the desktop or the laptop to the desktop i get limited or no connectivity.
 
i noticed that the adapter at the back of the desktop has only four pins but my laptop has all 8, i don't know if that makes a difference (for e.g. if i need a different kind of cable or something)
 
If your connecting the laptop directly to the desktop then you need a crossover cable. If you connecting the laptop to the router which is connected to the desktop, then you can use regular ethernet.

Instead of relying on the dhcp server, why don't you give the laptop a static ip. You'll need 3 pieces of information (5 if you want the laptop to have internet access):

I'm assuming your router's gateway address is 192.168.1.1. One way to check this is to go to your browser and type that address. You should get a login window.

IP Address(you want the laptop to have): 192.168.1.[2-255]
Netmask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway Address: 192.168.1.1
DNS1: You can get this from your router if your connected to broadband. Ignore if you don't.
DNS2: You can get this from your router if your connected to broadband. Ignore if you don't.

I forgot where you put this in windows, but in linux the dns info goes into /etc/resolv.conf and the rest goes in /etc/conf.d/net.
 
Last edited:
exequor said:
the thing is when i connect the desktop computer to the cable modem it works (this is the connection that I am using now), but when i connect the laptop to the desktop or the laptop to the desktop i get limited or no connectivity.
Right, like I (and dduardo) said, you need a crossover cable.
i noticed that the adapter at the back of the desktop has only four pins but my laptop has all 8, i don't know if that makes a difference (for e.g. if i need a different kind of cable or something)
Four pins is a phone line and an ethernet cable won't fit in it...
 
guys i know what a crossover cable is, and what a straight cable is. I have to check to see which one i have at the moment since i have not done so yet. I have a feeling that the problem is with the cable because packets are being sent out, but none are coming in.

the ethernet card in the desktop computer has four pins in its card (pci) and uses an ordinary rj45 plug.
 
Last edited:
Finally I got this thing to work. Over the past two days I was really pissed because I was not getting it to to work. Also guess what, the problem was not with the cable or the modem or anything else EXCEPT windows xp. It was only last night that I learned that there was some problem with winsock, dhcp in sp2. so i got a couple fixes off the net and finally got it to work. It was lastnight that i realized the pain that a lot of people went through too. the reason I was not aware of this is because only last week i moved to dsl from dialup.

windows cost me another two days
 
yea windows is frustrating to use with networks. You sound like a linux guy. And what's the sp2 in dhcp?
 
  • #10
it is DHCP in SP2. DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, and it is responsible for assigning an ip address to a computer. SP2 is service pack 2.
 

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